Hurricane Kiko to pass north of Hawaii, still bringing rain and heavy surf to Islands
Kiko is forecast to pass north of Hawaii as a tropical storm, but rain and gusty winds are expected to impact the islands from Tuesday to Wednesday. Building seas will precede the storm's arrival.
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As Hurricane Kiko gradually loses wind intensity in the coming days, its center is forecast to pass north of the Hawaiian Islands. However, expanding moisture will bring rough seas, rain and gusty winds of concern, AccuWeather meteorologists say.
This image of Hurricane Kiko (right of center) was captured on Monday morning, Sept. 8, 2025. Hawaii appears left of center. (AccuWeather Enhanced RealVue™ Satellite)
Swells spreading outward from the center of the storm have reached Hawaii and Maui and will spread over much of the rest of the islands on Monday. Large waves in the surf zone can pose hazards for swimmers and inexperienced surfers.
“Kiko will track over gradually cooler waters as it approaches Hawaii, leading to a loss of wind intensity,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Peyton Simmers said. “Despite losing wind intensity, Kiko will spread locally heavy rain and gusty winds to Hawaii from west to east Tuesday into Wednesday.”
As compact hurricanes weaken over cooler waters, their wind fields often expand. Kiko previously peaked as a Category 4 hurricane over the eastern Pacific. Tropical-storm-force winds could reach parts of Hawaii even if the center passes more than 100 miles to the north.
Kiko, currently a Category 2 hurricane, is forecast to de-escalate to a tropical storm as it passes north of Hawaii by midweek. As of Monday morning, Kiko was moving northwest at 14 mph with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph and was located 490 miles east of Hilo, Hawaii. Hurricane-force winds extended 45 miles from the center, while tropical-storm-force winds have expanded out to 115 miles.
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Because of the anticipated rain, localized flooding and gusty winds, Kiko rates less than one on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes in Hawaii.
“As Kiko passes north of the islands, a plume of tropical moisture is forecast to extend over Hawaii and could lead to locally gusty thunderstorms and flash flooding,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Adam Douty said.
"Trade wind patterns may be disrupted as Kiko passes north of Hawaii," AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva said. "This can lead to a localized fire danger, especially in areas experiencing moderate to severe drought on the leeward sides of the islands."
“Rainfall of 1–2 inches is expected across most of the Hawaiian Islands from Tuesday through Wednesday as Kiko passes,” Simmers said. “Amounts of 2–4 inches are possible along the eastern and northern sides of the Big Island, Maui and Oahu, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 10 inches.”
Wind gusts of 40 mph or higher are possible along the northern parts of the islands, mainly in squalls developing on the fringe of the distant tropical storm.
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